12/09/2025
Shocking New Finding: Parkinson’s disease may start in the kidneys, not the brain
A major new study is challenging what scientists thought they knew about Parkinson’s disease. For years, experts believed it began in the brain—but new research from China suggests it might actually start in the kidneys.
The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, found that harmful clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein—long linked to Parkinson’s—can also build up in the kidneys. In tests on both mice and human tissue, researchers discovered that these faulty proteins may move from the kidneys to the brain, eventually causing the brain damage seen in Parkinson’s.
Normally, healthy kidneys clear away alpha-synuclein. But when the kidneys don’t work well, the proteins pile up and spread along nerve pathways to the brain. In mice, when scientists cut off the nerve connection between the brain and kidneys, the harmful spread stopped.
Even more surprising, patients with kidney disease who didn’t have Parkinson’s still showed abnormal protein buildup—suggesting the process may begin years before any brain symptoms appear.
If future studies confirm this, it could completely change treatment approaches. Instead of only focusing on the brain, doctors might target the protein in the bloodstream or kidneys earlier—possibly slowing down or even preventing Parkinson’s.
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